Our Role in the Priests’ Spirituality

The Second Plenary Council of the Philippines offers a genial presentation of the spirituality priests are called to:  (1)  rooted and centered on Christ, (2) ministerial, (3) collegial, (4) lived in the spirit of the evangelical counsels of obedience, chastity and poverty, (5) missionary, (6) Eucharistic, and (7) Marian.

 

Moreover, John Paul II addressed five thousand priests throughout the word telling them that the priestly vocation is essentially a call to holiness, in the form which derives from the Sacrament of Orders.  By holiness, he means that intimacy with God, the imitation of Christ and the unreserved love for persons and for the Church.  The late Pope further stressed that being converted everyday is a fundamental demand of the Gospel for everyone, especially for priests.

 

Because of this, it is essential for us to help our priests maintain, sustain and even better their spiritual lives.  We can do this by praying for the priests so that they may grow spiritually and be converted everyday.  Being converted everyday means:  (1) returning to the grace of the vocation, meditating on the infinite goodness and love of Christ who has called us by name, (2) constantly rendering an account before the Lord of our hearts concerning our service, our zeal and our fidelity, our negligences and sins, our timidity, lack of faith and hope, of thinking only as men think and not as God thinks, (3) seeking again the pardon and strength of God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and (4) praying always and not losing heart.

 

Moreover, we are expected to obey and respect ecclesiastical authority especially in the exercise of the priests’ functions.  We are also obliged to contribute towards the expenses of the Divine service and the fitting support of the clergy, in proportion to our means and circumstances.

 

Still, most important among these are our prayers that the priests be granted strength to fight temptation, and the heart to undergo continuous conversion every day so that they may grow in their spirituality.

 

Source:

Catechism for Filipino Catholics

newadvent.org

 

Effects of the Sacrament of Holy Orders

We know that those who receive the calling to become priests need to go through years of study, training and discipline to be one.  Eventually, in the Sacrament of Holy Orders, he is ordained to become a priest.  Have we ever wondered what does the Sacrament of Holy Orders do to the priest?  The Catechism for Filipino Catholics tells us plainly:

 

The Sacrament of Holy Orders configures the ordained to Christ by a special grace of the Holy Spirit, in view of serving as an instrument of Christ for His Church.  By ordination, one is qualified to act as representative of Christ, Head of the Church, in his triple function of Priest, Prophet and King.  Like Baptism and Confirmation, Orders confers an indelible spiritual character which John Paul II describes as a mark made in the depths of the priest’s being, with its own “personalistic” dynamism for priestly personality.

 

Vatican II tells us of the intimate bond between the priest’s own spiritual life and the exercise of his threefold ministry of word, sacrament and pastoral leadership.  Besides the ex opera operato power of the sacraments which the ordained celebrate by reason of their office, there is the personal spiritual ideal toward which the ordained are directed to strive, even while conscious of their own human frailties and sinfulness.

Ø       One can more effectively preach God’s Word only from a life wholly conformed to it, and conversely, preaching the Word of God always affects the whole life of the preacher.

Ø       One can lead others into the prayer of Christ only from a life conformed to that prayer, and conversely, leading others in genuine Christian prayer affects the whole life of the prayer-leader.

Ø       One can shepherd with the affection of Christ the Good Shepherd only from a life conformed to such affections of Christ, and conversely, shepherding others with the affections of Christ affects the whole life of the shepherd.

 

The ordained ministry thus incarnates the priesthood of Jesus Christ in the priest himself.  The transformation through ordination involves the whole life of the ordained because of the nature of the ministries themselves.

The Church and Holiness

Excerpted from the Catechism for Filipino Catholics

 

In faith we believe the Church is holy in a way that can never fail (cf. CCC 823).  First, because “Christ loved the Church as his Bride and gave himself up for her, to make her holy.  Uniting her to himself as his body, he endowed her with the gift of the Holy Spirit” (LG 39).  Second, because the Holy Spirit graces her with the fullness of the means of salvation and holiness.  Such are the preaching of the Gospel, the sacraments, the moral virtues, self-sacrificing service of neighbour, and charismatic gifts (cf. UR 3; LG 48).  More concretely, the sanctity of the Church has shone out in the innumerable uncanonized saints among the ordinary faithful and religious, who through the ages have led holy lives.

 

A Task.

The Church’s holiness is a process of growing, a “Paschal Pilgrimage”, not a static, guaranteed state.  Like Jesus, the Church welcomes sinners.  But unlike Jesus she is “at the same time holy and always in need of being purified, and incessantly pursues the path of penance and renewal” (LG 8; cf. CCC 824-827; PCP II 142-144; 155).

Christians have always been exhorted to “lay aside your former way of life and the old self which deteriorates through illusion and desire, … and put on that new man created in God’s image, whose justice and holiness are born in truth” (Eph 4:22-24).  This reveals the fact that “we all truly offend in many things (cf. Jas 3:2).  We all need God’s mercy continuously and must daily pray:  “Forgive us our sins’” (cf. LG 40).

 

But this means that all in the Church are called to holiness (cf.  1 Thes 4:3).  This call comes from Christ:  “The Lord Jesus, divine Teacher and Model of perfection, who stands as the Author and Finisher of all holiness, preached holiness of life to each and every one of his disciples, regardless of their situations” (LG 40).

 

FAQs on God the Holy Spirit

Excerpted from the Catechism for Filipino Catholics

 

This is the third of a series of articles on the Holy Trinity.

 

1.      Who is the Holy Spirit?   
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father and the Son, the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity.  As “Giver of Life”, the Spirit vivifies the Church, our sacramental and moral life, and our resurrection to life everlasting.  “The love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given us” (Rom 5:5).

2.      Why is it difficult to imagine or picture the Holy Spirit?
The Spirit is difficult to imagine because He has no shape or form, and like “the wind… you do not know where it comes from or where it goes” (Jn 3:8).

3.      How do we experience the Holy Spirit?  
We experience the Spirit within our minds and hearts, in our loving relationships with family and friends, and in our social life in the Church and society.

4.      What does the Spirit do within us?         
The indwelling Spirit “bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God… heirs of God, heirs with Christ” (Rom 8:16-17).  He animates, purifies, and strengthens the life of GRACE in our daily following of Christ in prayer and works.

5.      How do we recognize or discern the Spirit?        
We discern the Spirit by relating to Jesus Christ, in Holy Scripture as interpreted in Catholic Tradition, in our personal prayer, devotions and especially in the Church’s liturgical worship and moral witness of loving service.

6.      What effects does the Spirit produce?    
The traditional gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord (Is 11:1-2).    
Moreover, St. Paul lists the fruits of the Holy Spirit as “love, joy, peace, patient endurance, kindness, generosity, faith, gentleness and chastity” (Gal 5:22).           
[The Spirit unites the members of the Church to Christ, their Head, and to one another, strengthening their Faith, Hope and Charity.]

FAQs on God the Son

Excerpted from the Catechism for Filipino Catholics

 

This is the second of a series of articles on the Holy Trinity.

 

1.      What conditions indicate a special yearning for Christ in the Philippines today?           
The thirst for a personal relationship with Christ our Savior, and for Christ the Liberator among the oppressed and exploited, indicates a strong yearning for Christ among many Filipinos today.

2.      What does “knowing” Jesus Christ entail?          
Getting to know Christ is a gradual, life-long, ever-deepening personal relationship with the Jesus of the Gospels, present to us now in multiple ways as the Risen Christ.  Moreover, “knowing Christ” means being committed to him, being his disciple.

3.      How do we come to know WHO Jesus is?         
Therefore, it is important to know the historical life and work of Jesus through constant contact with the Gospels, in order to know in faith that “Jesus Christ is Lord” (Phil 2:11).

4.      Why did God become one of us in Jesus Christ?
God the Son became one of us:

a.       for our salvation, that is:  to save us from the slavery of sin;

b.      to reveal to us God’s unending love for us;

c.       to be our model, as the Way, the Truth and the Life;

d.      to actually share His divine sonship with us.

5.      Why is Jesus called “Savior”?      
As announced even before his birth, the Child is to be named Jesus because “he will save his people from their sins”  (Mt 1:21).  “Lord by your Cross and Resurrection, you have set us free.  You are the savior of the world.”

6.      How does Jesus “save”?  
Jesus saves by making it possible for us to work throughout our lives against SIN, the spiritual root of all the evils which we experience.  He calls us to embrace and exercise his liberating grace in al our moral actions, especially by working for justice and peace.

7.      How did Jesus save from the “meaninglessness” of life?            
Jesus saved by dissipating the darkness of ignorance and prejudice through the light of his Truth, and by giving meaning and purpose to human life, even its sufferings.

God the Father

Excerpts from the Catechism for Filipino Catholics

 

 

How is it possible, proper, and true to call God our “Father”?  Five basic reasons can be given why God is our Father.

 

Our Creator.  First, the most obvious reason is because He created us.  “Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out…  Who gives breath to its people and spirit to those who walk on it:  I, the Lord, have called you…  I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you” (Is 42:5-6).  As Christians, we know further that “we are truly [God’s] handiwork, created in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:10).

 

Our Provider.  Second, God is our Father because He provides for our needs.  The Psalmist acclaims:  “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Ps 23:1).  He sent Jesus, “the Good Shepherd”, who taught, “If God clothes in such splendour the grass of the field…  how much more will he provide for you, O weak in faith!” (Lk 12:28)

 

Our Redeemer.  Third, God is our Father because He has redeemed us.  “You, Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer you are named forever” (Is 63:16).  This redemption is a further sign of our Father’s love.  “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him may not die, but may have eternal life”  (Jn 3:16).

 

God’s Indwelling Spirit.  Fourth, as our Father, God sends His Spirit to share His divine life with us.  “If we love one another, God dwells in us, and His love is brought to perfection in us.  The way we know we remain in Him and He in us is that He has given us of His Spirit” (1 Jn 4:12-13).

 

Our Self-Identity/Destiny.  Lastly, as with Jesus Himself, God as our Father grounds our own self-identity for we are all essentially children of God, destined for life eternal with Him.  “Abba, Father” captures in a word that unique relationship to God enjoyed by Jesus Christ.  In this relationship Jesus invites all of us to share.  To be a Christian , then, means to acknowledge that all persons are called to be adopted sons/daughters of the Father, in Christ Jesus.  Thus filial love of God our Father calls for loving service to our fellowmen.

The Moral Aspects of a Labor Union

Adapted from the newadvent.org

 

Since a labour union is a society, its moral aspects are determined by its constitution, its end, its results, and the means employed in pursuit of the end.  Its constitution (or the conditions upon which its members become associated) and its two general aims, ends, or objects of the union (mutual insurance and better conditions of employment).

 

While the union itself may be morally lawful in the sense just explained, many of its actions may be unlawful. This statement is obviously true of many social institutions. In the case of the labour union, the greater part of the moral condemnation that is pronounced has reference neither to its constitution, its general aims, nor its net results, but to its actions.

1. The Strike.  As against the employer, the strikers have no right to destroy his property. As against the men who take the places of the strikers, no violence is lawful when the action of the former is justified by their own needs.
2. The Boycott.  The boycott must be kept within the limits of justice and charity in its process and extent. It must be free from violence and other immoral circumstances, and it must not be carried so far as to deny to its object the necessaries of life, or any of those acts of social intercourse which are demanded by the fundamental human relations — what the theologians call the “communia signa charitatis”.
3. The Closed Shop or the Union Shop.  The closed-shop policy is often objected to, on the ground that it deprives the non-unionist of his natural right to work, confounded with the right to work in certain conditions and relations.

To forestall misunderstanding, it may be well to note that every violation of justice through labour-union methods is also a violation of charity, and that charity may sometimes be offended without any breach of strict justice.

 

If the taking of exorbitant profits and the reduction of wages below the level of decent living were both rendered impossible, the union would still be desirable, but a far greater proportion of its activities could be devoted to mutual help and a much smaller proportion to the struggle against the imposition of unfair terms, and to economic warfare generally.

Election 2010

Pastoral Letter of the Archbishop and and Bishops of the Manila Metropolitan Ecclesiastical Province

The Filipino translation of this document was published in last week’s issue.

On May 10, 2010, the Filipino people will freely choose their leaders whom they expect to serve them, and whom they will hold accountable for their service to people in the Republic of the Philippines. Freedom in an election means no physical coercion, nor is threat or money used to influence or to buy votes. Excessive campaign expenses in the past did not augur good and responsive governance.

 

In choosing leaders, the electorate should carefully study and match the traits of candidate with the needs and issues disabling the country today. Two major and perennial issues haunting the country are poverty and government graft and corruption, with such destructive mutuality, that as corruption increases, poverty worsens.

 

Responsible voting, like stewarding one’s vote, begins with conscientious citizens meeting in serious groups, studying the traits needed for responsible leadership and weighing the candidates’ claim for personal integrity.

 

Among those candidates scrutinized by these groups of discerners will be God-fearing persons, who are moral, not given to vices, reverent of life and its deserved decency, consistent true friends of the poor, ever protective of the integrity of creation (friend of world ecology), simple and humble, and who are good examples of responsible Filipino citizenship.

 

These groups of conscientious citizens will not only scrutinize candidates and weigh their personal choice and options; they should also become groups of praying citizens who ask the Lord’s guidance for their choice. Needless to say, like the entire country, we should all pray for a peaceful election and a unified people before, during, and after the election.

 

May the Lord and His Mother bless and protect our country, because they know that as a God-fearing nation, we also love our people.

 

God love and bless us all!

 

The Archbishop and Bishops of the Manila Metropolitan Ecclesiastical Province

 

March 14, 2010, Fourth Sunday of Lent

Halalan 2010

Pastoral Letter ng Arsobispo at mga Obispo ng Manila Metropolitan Ecclesiastical Province.

Sa darating na ika-10 ng Mayo 2010, malayang pipili ang mga Pilipino ng mga pinuno na inaasahang maglilingkod sa bayan at magkakaroon ng pananagutang paglingkuran ang mga mamamayan ng Republika ng Pilpinas. Ang isang malayang halalan ay nangangahulugang walang marahas na pamimilit, pagbabanta at panunuhol upang manghikayat at bumili ng boto. Napatunayan ng natin na ang labis na paggugol ng salapi sa pangangampanya ay hindi katiyakan ng mabuti at tapat na pamamahala.

 

Sa pagpili ng mga pinuno, kailangan pag-aralan, suriin at paghambingin ang mga katangian ng mga kandidato at isaalang-alang ang mga pangangailangan at mga isyu na bumabagabag sa ating bansa ngayon. Ang kahirapan at katiwalian sa pamahalaan ang dalawang pinakamatinding isyu ng matagal ng sumisira sa ating bayan. Ang dalawang ito’y magkatambal na pumpipinsala sa ating bayan. Habang lumalabis ang pagnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan, lumalala naman ang karukhaan.

 

Nagsisimula ang responsableng pagboto sa pagsasama-sama ng mga mamamayan upang talakaying ang mga kinakailangang katangian para sa tapat na pamamahala at suriin and karangalan ng mga kumakandidato sa halalan.

 

Kabilang sa mga kandidatong susuriin ng mga grupong ito ay mga taong may takot sa Diyos, matuwid ang pamumuhay, hindi lulong sa bisyo, nagtataguyod sa buhay at kabanalan nito, pampalagian at tunay na kaibigan ng mga dukha, nakikiisa sa pag-iingat ng kalikasan, payak at mapagkumbaba, at halimbawa ng pagiging mabuting Pilipino.

 

Hindi lamang tungkulin ng mga tapat na mamamayang ito ang pagsusuri ng mga kandidato at pagtimbang sa kanilang mga pansariling pasya. Kailangan di nilang magkaisa sa panalanging upang hilingin sa Panginoon na gabayan sila sa knailang pagpili at pagpapasya. Kailangan nating manalangin para sa mapayapang halalan at nagkakaisang bayan bago, habang at pagkatapos ng halalan.

 

Pagpalain at patnubayan nawa ng Panginoon at ng Mahal na Ina an gating byan sapagkat batid nily na bilang isang bayang may takot sa Diyos, mahal natin ang ating mga kababayan.

 

Sumaating nawa lagi ang pag-ibig at pagpapala ng Panginoon?

 

Ika-14 ng Marso 2010, Ika-apat ng Linggo ng Kuwaresma.

 

Nilagdaan ng Arsobispo at mga Obispo ng Manila Metropolitan Ecclesiastical Province.

 

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Adapted

 

The Chaplet of the Divine Mercy is a Roman Catholic devotion based on the visions of Saint Mary Faustina Kowlaska, also known as “The Apostle of Mercy”.  This chaplet is often said as a rosary-based prayer and may be recited privately on ordinary rosary beads.  Here’s how we can pray the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy.

 

Begin with…

Our Father…

Hail Mary…

The Creed.

 

On the five large beads:

Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

 

On ten small beads:

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

 

Conclude with:

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

 

(From the Diary of St. Faustina, 84, 1319, 475)

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